George albert moore



PATENTED 00T. 18, 1904.

G. A. MOORE. COIN OPERATED WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED snPT.21, 1903.

No MODEL.

'asimiiasiiil Patented October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALBERT MOORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-OPERATED WElGHlNG-NIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,426, dated October 18, 1904.

Application filed September 21, 1903.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that LGEORGE ALBERT MOORE, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Weighing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description` The drawing forming part of this specification is a perspective view of the operative part of my mechanism.

The vertical rod 1 is designed to be connected with the platform of the weighing-machine in the usual manner and to have the cross-bar 2 fixed to its upper end. From the extremities of this cross-bar rise the tensionsprings 3 4, by which said bar, and hence the scale-platform, is resiliently supported. The

spring 4 is preferably but half the length of' the spring 3 and is put tandem with a similar spring 5, they being made to engage the eye 32 of the toothed segment 30, which is pivotally supported on asuitable spindle 31. Said toothed segment meshes with the'lpinion 14,v fixed upon the shaft 11, whose outer end car* ries the dial-pointer 10, and the spring 5 being suitably held at its upper end the descent of the scale-platform and the cross-bar 2 elongates the springs and causes the segment-teeth to rise through an arc proportional to the weight upon the platform. This travel of the segment imparts to the dial-pointer, through the pinion and shaft above described, the angular variation which designates the weight of the person standing upon the platform.

To lock the pointer from movement except upon .the introduction of a designated coin, l provide the shaft 11 with a ratchet-wheel 12, normally engaged by the dog 18. The pointer, and hence the shaft, pinion, and toothed segment, being thus locked from motion, when anyone steps upon the scale-platform without the insertion of the coin the springs 3 and 4 are the only ones elongated, the spring 5 being wholly unaffected; but when through the introduction of the coin in a manner to be hereinafter described the dog 18 is disengaged from the ratchet-wheel 12 and the spring-4 permitted to share its tension' with the spring 5 then the pointer immediately swings to the section of the dial which designates the per- Serial N0. 173,974. (No model.)

said lever projects a similar pin 39 just over the former pin. The impact of a coin upon said end of the lever 5 rocks the latter downward through a considerable arc and by the contact of the pin 39 with the pin 29 swings the dog 18 out of engagement with the ratchetwheel12. The rocking' lever being pivotally supported near its center, but with its lefthand end slightly the heavier, swings quite slowly back to itsinitial position, and the dog 18 being equally retarded in its return to reengage the ratchet-wheel 12 the pointer has ample time in which to settle quietly at its proper weight-indicating position.

As thus far described there is nothing to prevent a lighter person from stepping upon the scale-platform' just before the first one gets off and having his weight `also indicated by the pointer.l To prevent this, I provide the second dog 23, engaging the ratchet-wheel 13, also fixed upon the shaft 11 and having its teeth oppositely facing. This second dog is pivoted upon the end of the spindle 21 and is provided with an arm 25, slotted at 26. Through this slot rises the post 27 from the cross-bar 2 and having the shoulder 28 located .to slightly` raise the arm 25 when there is no depression of the scale-platform, and thereby hold t'he dog 23 from engagement with its ratchet-wheel 13.

The rocking lever 15 is rigidly connected with the sleeve 17, mounted on the spindle 16, and said sleeve has fixed upon it a spur-gear 19, meshing with a similar gear 20, rotatable on the spindle 21. The latter gear has a hub 22, carrying the pin 24, located to come into contact with .the under side of the dog 23 when the gear 20 is turned in a direction opposite to the hands of a clockea direction which is given thereto when the rocking lever 15 has its right-hand end depressed. Consequently when said lever is thus tilted by the descent of a coin from the coin-chute the contact of the pin 24 moves the dog 23 out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 13, and so retains IOO it until the rocking lever has slowlyr returned to its initial position. In this manner the introdu ced coin movesboth dogs out of the way of the ratchet-teeth until the pointer has had time to settle into its indicating position, after which both dogs are permitted to return to lock the pointer from movement in either direction. Vhen, however, the person on the scale-platform steps off, then the post 27 rises and by the impact of its shoulder 28 against the arm 25 releases the dog 23 from its hold on the ratchet-wheel 13, and vso permits the pointer to return to zero.

It is necessary to employ the two pins 29 39 in place of having the rocking lever 15 and dog 18 rigid with each other in order that said dog can freely engage the ratchet-teeth as the pointer returns to Zero.

VVhatI claim as my invention, and for which I desire Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with operating mechanism, indicating mechanism, and a lock for the latter, of a resilient device between the operating and indicating' mechanism, and a resilient device between said indicating mechanism and a fixed support, whereby the operating mechanism imparts a strain to the first-named resilient device alone when the indicating mechanismy is locked, but distributes the strain between both resilient devices, and operates the indieating mechanism, when the latter is unlocked.

2. In'a coin-operated machine, the combination with operating mechanism, indicating mechanism, and a lock for the latter, of a spring between the operating' and indicating mechanism, and a similar spring between the indicating mechanism and a iiXed support, whereby the operating mechanism tensions the first-named spring alone when the indicating mechanism is locked, but tensions both springs and operates the indicating mechanism when the latter is unlocked.

3. Ina coin-operated mechanism, the combination with operating' mechanism, indicating mechanism, and alock for the latter, of a pivoted member constructed to turn the indicating mechanism, a tension-spring between said pivoted member and the operating mechanism, and a similar spring between said member and a fixed support, whereby the firstnamed spring aloneV is tensioned when the indicating' mechanism is locked.

4f. In a'coin-operated machine, the combination with operating mechanism, rotary indicating mechanism, and a lock for the latter, of a toothed segment pivotally supported, a

, pinion rigid with the indicating mechanism 6o and meshing with said segment, a tensionspring connected with the operating mechanism and with said segment, and a similar spring connected with the same part of said segment and with a 'lixed support.

5. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with operative mechanism, a dialpointer, and ay lock for the latter, of a pinion rigid with said pointer, a toothed segment meshing with said pinion and having an eye near its pivotal point, a tension-spring connected with the operating mechanism and said eye, and a similar spring connected with said eye and a fixed support.

6. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with-operating mechanism, rotary indicating mechanism having a suitable supporting-shaft, and a resilient connection between said operating and indicating mechanism, of two oppositely-faced ratchet-wheels fixed on said shaft, a pair of xed spindles located parallel with said shaft, intermeshing gears loose on said spindles, a dog rigid with one of said gears and normally engaging' one of said ratchet-wheels, a substantially horizontal intermediately-supported rocking lever having its rocking axis coincident with the spindle supporting said dog engaging devices between said lever and dog,` a dog normally engaging the other of said ratchetwheels and pivotally supported by the spindle supporting the other of said gears, and engaging devices between the last-named dog and gear,

7. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with operating mechanism, rotary indicating mechanism and a resilient connection between them, of two oppositely-faced ratchetwheels, a dog for each wheel, acoin-oscillated rocking lever, a sleeve rigid with the latter, a spurgear on said sleeve, a similar gear meshing with the said gear, a pin projecting from the second-named gear and constructed to contact with one of said dogs and disengage it from its ratchet-wheel when said lever is depressed, a pin projecting from the other dog, and a pin projecting from said lever into the path of the last-named pin.

8. In a coin-operated machine, the combination with the forcibly-operated rod having the cross-bar at its upper end, and the tension-spring supporting one end of said bar, of a shorter tension-spring connected with the other end of said bar, a toothed segment supporting the upper end of said shorter spring, a similar spring connected with said segment at the same point as the other short spring, and having a fixed support at its other end, a pinion meshing with said segment, a shaft on which said pinion is fixed, a dial-pointer on said shaft, two oppositely-faced ratchet- Ywheels liXed on said shaft, a dog for each IIO 

